


How to take a hint

by InsaneFictionGeek



Series: The How To: A guide for gay volleyball players [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Romance, fic by RainbowQueen, kageyama is an awkward birb who doesn't know how to write letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 18:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5550632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneFictionGeek/pseuds/InsaneFictionGeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Hinana and Kageyama both try to confess, and both fail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to take a hint

How to Take a Hint:

 

Step one: Investigate. Is there a hint? There is. Good.

Step two: Find the hint. This may be hard as hints are often subtle.

Step three: Pick up the hint. Hold it up to the light. Examine it. Is it genuine? Yes it is.

Step four: _Take the goddamn hint!_

 

Hinata darted around the outskirts of the crowded corridors, keeping his head low. No one could see him, not today. He could not allow his plans to be ruined! He paused at the last corner and took a deep breath. He was darkness. He was night.

The roses bundled up in his arms pricked his skin painfully. Thirteen of them. He struggled to hold them in his sweaty palms. This was it.

He rounded the last corner quickly and flung himself at Kageyama’s locker, fumbling with the lock code he had taken so long to acquire. He threw open the locker, shoved the roses inside and slammed it shut again, leaning against the door and panting.

“What are you doing here, dumbass?”

“Guwaaah!!”

Hinata leapt away from the locker as if scalded him, looking around frantically for an escape route. There was none. Kageyama crossed his arms, scowling.

“What are _you_ doing here?”

“This is my locker. And you’re avoiding my question.”

Hinata fumbled, looking for an excuse.

“I, uh, got lost!”

Fuck.

“Your locker’s back that way.”

Kageyama threw a thumb over his shoulder and Hinata followed it hurriedly, blushing redder than his hair. After a moment Hinata heard Kageyama’s strangled cry over the student bustle as the roses fell from his locker and into his face. Hinata sniggered, vanishing down the stairwell.

***

Kageyama waited until they were doing spikes in volleyball practice before excusing himself, telling Daichi as convincingly as he could that he had a stomach ache. He needed to time it so that Hinata would be too busy to see him momentarily vanish.

He slipped out to the changing rooms as soon as it was Hinata’s turn to spike, running quickly across the path. He wasted no time once he was there, pulling the sealed confession letter out of his bag and quickly stuffing it into Hinata’s.

There. That hadn’t been too hard.

He sprinted back to the gym and slid inside, breathing hard. Daichi gave him a suspicious look which Kageyama ignored.

“Feeling better, Kageyama?” Yachi asked, hovering anxiously next to him.

“What? I mean, yes. Yes, much better… t-thanks.”

Yachi gave a small nod and ducked as a wayward volleyball shot past her head.

“Bakageyama!! Toss for me!”

Hinata ran up to them, clutching a volleyball to his chest. Kageyama thought about how damn _good_ he looked, admittedly with sweat dripping off his chin and soaking through his shirt, but with that bright smile still on his face, and his thoughts flashed back to his confession letter.

“Hey! Stop ignoring me! I want to practice that quick!”

“Uh, right.”

Hinata cheered and bounced away, moving back onto the volleyball court where Tanaka and Noya were pretending to die dramatically. Kageyama followed behind him, scooping up a ball someone had dropped.

Abruptly, Hinata stopped and turned back to Kageyama.

“Say, was there anything in your locker today?”

Kageyama paused at the weird question, his head too full of Hinata and volleyball to think of an answer.

“What?”

“You know… besides books and stuff…”

“Well, there was something-”

Kageyama took a deep breath to tell Hinata about the mysterious roses, but then Daichi interrupted, announcing that practice was over for the day. Kageyama shrugged and turned away, stretching out his arms and nervously anticipating Hinata finding his letter.

 

***

The weather was terrible that night. Thunder and lightning declared war on each other and battled ferociously while rain pounded down in its own fight against the ground.

Natsu pushed open the door to Hinata’s bedroom and poked her head inside, not bothering to knock.

“Yes?” Hinata asked.

There was an especially loud crack of thunder and Natsu screamed, rushing into Hinata’s room and throwing herself across his lap from where he sat on his bed. Hinata yelped in surprise but quickly settled down, pushing aside his work and bundling Natsu up into his arms.

“What’s wrong, sis?”

“Nothing,” she said stubbornly.Thunder rolled again and she squealed, burying herself into Hinata’s chest.

“Hey, it’s okay! I used to be afraid of storms too.”

“Really?” Natsu looked up at Hinata with shining eyes and Hinata grinned uneasily back at her.

“In fact, I still sorta am…”

There was a flash of lightning and both of them jumped, Hinata nearly throwing Natsu off him. After a moment Natsu giggled and clambered into a more comfortable position, reaching up to pat Hinata’s damp head, still wet from his bike back home in the rain.

“Silly Onii-chan.” She continued patting his head, then gasped.

“Eh? Onii-chan, you’re bleeding!”

“Oh, yeah…” Hinata grimaced, bringing his fingers up to his head. “I slipped on the road on the ride home. My bag spilt and everything! I think I might have lost some stuff to the wind…”

“Stay right there, I’m getting a bandage!” Natsu said imperiously.

“Okay, Natsu.”

Natsu left the room quickly, squeaking as there was another distant call of thunder. Hinata watched her go, then pulled the love poetry he’d been trying to write back towards him, looking down on it with a critical eye. It was truly crap.

 

***

Kageyama sat down opposite Hinata at lunch the next day, examining him carefully for any changes in behaviour. There were none. There was, Kageyama noticed with horror, a bandage wrapped around his head.

“Did it hurt?”

Hinata looked up, mouth bulging with food. He swallowed with a tremendous effort and frowned at Kageyama in confusion.

“Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from heaven?”

Oh god did those words really just leave Kageyama’s mouth? Really? Shit. Hinata was looking doubly confused, head tilted sideways at a totally adorable angle _oh god this has to stop._

“Huh?”

“I mean that,” Kageyama corrected himself, pointing at Hinata’s bandage. “What happened?”

“Oh right!” Hinata laughed. “I fell off my bike in the storm yesterday. Bashed my head a bit hard. It’s all right.”

“Dumbass!” Kageyama leaned across the table and peeled the bandage back from Hinata’s head to examine the wound. There was a shallow gash high up on Hinata’s forehead, but it looked like it was healing fine. At least, Kageyama hoped it was healing fine.

“Dumbass Hinata,” Kageyama repeated, letting the bandage fall back into place.

They were both silent for a few minutes while they shovelled food into their faces, practically inhaling it. After all, they were growing boys (in Hinata’s dreams). Hinata finished first, cheering and claiming that he’d ‘won’. Kageyama scowled at him.

“Oh yeah,” Hinata said suddenly, looking fearful. “When I fell my bag split and I lost a lot of stuff, which may or may not include our notes for the upcoming maths test…”

Kageyama felt himself going cold, but not because of the maths notes. Who cared about maths?

“Was-”

Hinata threw his arms over his face protectively and Kageyama frowned at his friend’s antiques. It wasn’t like Kageyama was going to beat him up or anything.

“-Was there a letter in your bag when you got home?”

Hinata screwed up his face thoughtfully.

“No, why?”

No fucking way. Kageyama had spent four hours on that confession letter and Hinata had only gone and _lost it!_

“Uh, Kageyama, are you okay?” Hinata asked cautiously, inching his chair as far away from Kageyama as he could without being obvious.

“I’m fine. I was just joking. There was no letter- and if there was what would I care? I definitely did not put that letter in your bag. It was someone else. I saw someone else put a letter in your bag!”

“Uh…” Hinata looked terrified now. “Okay, Bakageyama. If you say so.”

“I do say so!” Kageyama said angrily. Hinata only nodded, hurriedly excusing himself to go to the bathroom.

Kageyama had really screwed up this time.

_Damn it._

 

***

 

“Suga- senpai, I have a crush on someone.”

“That’s great, Hinata! But… why are you telling me?”

“It’s a… guy someone.”

“Ah. I get it. Does he know your feelings?”

“No! I’ve been trying to sort of… subtly let him know… but he’s an idiot!”

“Well, maybe you should just tell him your feelings straight up. That’s what I did and it worked out fine.”

“Really? That’s all?

“Really.”

“Gyaahh! Thanks so much, Suga- senpai!”

“Anytime, Hinata!”

 

***

 

“Asahi- senpai, I have a crush on someone.”

“Ehh? Why are you telling me?”

“Uh...”

 

…

 

“Suga- senpai, I have a crush on someone.”

 

***

 

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat in the library, desperately trying to recreate his maths notes. Needless to say, it wasn’t going well. A shadow fell over his table and he looked up as Kageyama pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.

“So,” Kageyama said seriously. “Girlfriends.” He paused. “Boyfriends. You… got any? Want any? Are you or are you not looking for a relationship?”

“Uh, Kageyama… what is this about?” Hinata asked nervously.

“Relationships. Don’t friends usually have this kind of talk?”

“I’m kinda trying to do maths…”

Hinata waved his book in Kageyama’s face to illustrate his point. Not that Hinata didn’t want this talk, it was just that- the way Kageyama started it- yeah, Hinata was really screwed.

“Well…” Hinata said, deciding to give up on notes and pack his stuff away. “There is something strange going on. Someone keeps trying to hit on me… I think? I keep finding haikus and heart confetti and fruit in my locker and bag.”

Kageyama leaned forwards, a strange intensity in his eyes.

“Do you know who it is?”

“No… it wouldn’t matter though,” He blushed and inwardly hated himself. “I’m kinda into someone else right now.”

He looked pointedly at Kageyama, but he had turned away, face crestfallen.

“What about you?” Hinata asked, knowing the answer.

Kageyama scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Someone’s been trying to hit on me as well. There were roses in my locker the other day! And today I got really bad love poetry.”

Hinata wanted to die, he _knew_ he shouldn’t have gone ahead with the poetry. It was a bad idea from the start.

“But… I’m into someone else, too.”

“Oh.”

 _Shit_.

“Yeah…”

 

***

 

Kageyama pulled the love poem out of his bag again, reading over each line carefully. There was something off about it, for example, it was addressed to ‘Bakageyama’. And for another, this person seemed to know way too much about him. It was… kinda creepy.

_Maybe I’m imagining it_   
_but when you toss the ball  
I feel invincible_

Why would they feel invincible watching him play volleyball? It made no sense. And there was something about that handwriting that was oddly recognisable. Why did it make him think of… orange hair?

He folded up the poem carefully, then unfolded it. Then folded it up again. Dammit, what was he doing? His head was a confused mess of emotions and strange nagging sensations. The roses, the poetry… He felt like these were all little clues leading to one, massive, elephant-in-the-room answer.

But he didn’t care anyway, right? Because despite all this person’s (creepy? Flattering?) attention, his heart and mind was set on Hinata. Hinata, who was the only one who could spike his tosses. Hinata, who had unwavering belief in him in everything he did. Hinata, whose smile was so bright Kageyama sometimes had to look away for fear of being blinded. Hinata, who…

Hinata…

Holy shit.

Kageyama froze, the final piece of the puzzle finally clicking into place.

Hinata, whose handwriting was exactly the same as the one in the poem. And who called him Bakageyama. And knew about his tosses.

Hinata had written the love poem.

Kageyama tried to stay cool, slowly tucking the poem into his pocket. He was calm, he was collected, he was- oh, who was he kidding? He took a deep, unsteady breath, then snatched his bag up, running as fast as he could through the school grounds to the place he knew he would be.

 

***

 

Hinata sat outside the gym, perched uncomfortably on the concrete steps. Daichi had caved in and given him a spare key to the gym weeks ago so he could practice whenever he wanted. The thing was, Hinata had lost it. Maybe. He was sure it was at the bottom of his bag _somewhere_.

He started pulling items out of his bag at random, growing panicky at the thought of Daichi’s face when he discovered Hinata had _lost_ the spare key that he had promised _never_ to _lose_. This was a disaster, an absolute disaster.

He had now reached the very bottom of the bag where all the junk was (ie. wrappers, tissues and homework). He peered into the depths of his bag, nearly in tears and afraid to reach blindly into the trashy unknown.

In his desperate search, something scrunched up in the side of the bag caught his eye, something he didn’t recognise. It was an envelope. Curious, he pulled it out gingerly, flattening it out on the gym steps. It was addressed to him. With a feeling of extreme apprehension, Hinata ripped it open and pulled out the letter inside.

 

~~_Dear Hinata,_ ~~

_Hinata,_

_If you are reading this I suppose that means I was finally brave enough to give this to you. Or maybe you just found it, I don’t know. The truth is, I’ve never done anything like this before. The whole ~~coming out~~ ~~love~~ confession letter thing._

_Yes, that’s what it is. You’re probably disgusted at me now, right? But it’s true, that’s what it is. A hopeless, embarrassing confession letter._

_If you’re still reading this I guess I should just take a chance and put my… my heart on the line. Shut up. Yes, you did read that right. I do have a heart. Dumbass._

_I guess what I’m trying to say is… Hinata- I ~~like~~ ~~need~~ ~~want~~ ~~adore~~_

_~~fuck~~._

_Hinata, I love you._

_There. Happy now?_

_Kageyama._

 

Hinata stared at the letter open mouthed. How long had this been in his bag? How long had they been dancing around each other when they could have been…? Hinata felt dizzy, this whole thing was surreal. He needed to find Kageyama. He needed to find him and tell him that he _loved him too_. He stood up, feeling nauseated.

“Hinata!”

 

***

 

They stood facing each other, the sun reflecting in Hinata’s eyes, the shade darkening Kageyama's. Both of them realised at once how they’d never fully appreciated the other’s simple beauty. Both of them panicked at the thought of it.

“I got your letter,” Hinata said, biting his lip nervously.

“I got your poem…” Kageyama mumbled.

They both hesitated nervously. There was a deep blush creeping up Hinata’s neck and cheeks and _damn_ , it was adorable.

“...It was shit,” Kageyama continued, nerves spurring him on.

“Your letter wasn't any better,” Hinata whined.

They paused again, shifting awkwardly. Hinata fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously.

_Now what?_

“Why are you standing out here?” Kageyama asked, and his voice was gruff and slightly husky.

“Oh, I, um, lost my spare key.”

“Did you check your pockets?”

Hinata’s eyes widened and he immediately stuffed his hands into his pockets, cheering as he drew out the missing key. It was cute and so fucking stupid, Kageyama just wanted to kiss him right then and there. But he didn’t.

“Dumbass. Dumbass Hinata.”

He waited as Hinata unlocked the doors and then they both went inside, Kageyama stumbling slightly when his arm brushed Hinata’s.

They moved right into the middle of the room before they stopped and half turned to each other. Their eyes refused to meet, instead playing an awkward game of tag in a desperate effort to look anywhere- everywhere but at each other.

“Neither of us are changed for volleyball,” Kageyama pointed out.

“That doesn't matter.” Hinata took a small step forward and lifted his chin bravely so that his head was tilted up to Kageyama’s.

“So,” Kageyama said, coughing slightly as he tried to choke out his words. “We both l- love each other.”

“Yeah.”

“Um…”

Now Kageyama was blushing, a barely noticeable pink flush creeping across his cheeks.

“So what do we do now?”

Hinata reached forward and took Kageyama’s hand, entwining their fingers gently. Kageyama looked down in shock, his heart beating erratically in his chest.

“Is it… is it alright if I kiss you?”

Numbly, Kageyama nodded.

There was a heartstopping pause and then Hinata was taking the final step forward, reaching up on tiptoe and Kageyama was leaning down.

Hinata’s lips fell gently open under Kageyama’s. Their noses bumped and got in the way but fortunately, Kageyama was just as good at kissing as he was tossing. It was sweet and rhythmical and so, so indescribably perfect and was Kageyama breathing? Kageyama wasn't breathing.

They pulled away slowly and Hinata smiled. It took Kageyama a moment to realise he was smiling back. And it was so natural.

“You're a terrible kisser,” Kageyama murmured.

“You can help me practice then,” Hinata replied quickly.

They both leaned in again.

 

***

 

The third years stood in the entrance to the gym, gaping at their two kouhai. Suga was trying to stifle his giggles with his hand and Daichi’s face had gone completely blank. Asahi was choking on his ramen quietly.

“I’m so glad they worked things out. They're so cute,” Suga laughed.

“As long as they stay safe,” Daichi said seriously.

“Yes, dad,” Suga said with a cheeky grin.

“Not you too!”

Asahi finally recovered from his choking fit and tugged at Suga and Daichi’s arms.

“Uh, shouldn't we leave them be? This looks… private.”

“Oh. Right.”

The third years backed out quietly, shutting the door behind them. Hinata and Kageyama didn’t even notice. Kissing was far more important.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I've just gone through and put italics to everything so hopefully this makes sense now :) Thank you so much for reading this trash! If you enjoyed it please leave a comment and/or kudos! Thanks!  
> -RainbowQueen  
> ~~~  
> Hello there.  
> If I've made any mistakes while editing, please tell me in the comments.  
> (No, really. I want you to nitpick every single detail. I don't care how small it is.)  
> Thanks for reading  
> \- InsaneFictionGeek out


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